"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable." (Proverbs 25:2, 3 NIV)Glory is "to take great pride or pleasure in" according to the dictionary. What gives God such delight to conceal matters from us, his sons?It's like a cosmic game of Marco Polo with Divine implications. Is God messing with us? I don't think so. He delights in us. So what then would be His motive to conceal a matter?Perhaps it's the joy that results from the search? Perhaps it's the strengthening of our resolve to "seek and find"? Perhaps it's the intimate relationship that develops in the process? Perhaps it's all of these? Or, as the Scripture points to, perhaps it's none of these and the true intent is still concealed?Whatever the cause, the inherent notion is that I'm a king and God has given me a glory in searching out His heart, His desires, His will. It would serve me well to choose genuine curiosity as an ally in the process; to explore the vastness and depth of what God conceals.God's glory conceals matters. My glory searches them out.

I believe in all that has never yet been spoken.I want to free what waits within meso that what no one has dared to wish formay for once spring clearwithout my contriving.If this is arrogant, God, forgive me,but this is what I need to say.May what I do flow from me like a river,no forcing and no holding back,the way it is with children.Then in these swelling and ebbing currents,these deepening tides moving out, returning,I will sing You as no one ever has,streaming through widening channelsinto the open sea.Rainer Maria Rilkefrom Rilke's Book of HoursThe Book Of Monastic Life I, 12

I get it. We know ourselves and our Shadow all too well. We Sabotage our best efforts constantly and prostitute our hearts to the newest, flashiest thing; adulterous, our hearts can be.

But that does not condone our self-berating religiosity.

Sure, when we compare our self-worth to that of the magnificent work of the cross, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, we feel insignificant and dirty; unsubstantial and stained.

But that's not how Jesus sees us.

Scripture calls those who are "in Christ"...

- Worth more than many sparrows/birds (Luke 12:7 & 24)

- Clean-- pure, blameless, innocent (John 13:10, 15:3)

- Jesus' friends (John 15:14)

- Heirs to the Kingdom (Acts 3:25, Gal 3:29, Gal 4:7)

- Right with God (1 Cor 1:30)

- Pure (1 Cor 1:30)

- Holy (1 Cor 1:30, 1 Pt 2:9, Eph 1:4)

- Free from Sin (1 Cor 1:30)

- God's temple (1 Cor 3:16)

- Known by God (1 Cor 8:3, Gal 4:9)

- The Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)

- Saved (1 Cor 15:2)

- New creation (2 Cor 5:17)

- Children of God (Gal 3:26, 4:7)

- God's sons (Gal 4:6)

- Free (Gal 4:7)

- Blameless (Eph 1:4)

- Masterpiece (Eph 2:10)

- Citizens of Heaven (Eph 2:19)

- Members of God's household (Eph 2:19)

- Light (Eph 5:8)

- Loved (1 Thess 1:4)

- Chosen (1 Pt 2:9)

- Royal priests (1 Pt 2:9)

- God’s special possession (1 Pt 2:9)

- People of God (1 Pt 2:10)

- Blessed (1 Pt 3:14, 4:14)

I know. I know. We ARE called to be humble. And I love how C.S. Lewis brilliantly defined humility: "True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less."

The Gospel renews us.

It reconciles us.

It redeems us.

This includes our pretentious self-deprecation and arrogant self-loathing that feigns humility with all the stench of religiosity.

Next time we're tempted to undervalue our worth, we have choices: - We can go on calling Jesus a liar and pretending that our self-deprecation and self-loathing is spiritual and holy. - Or perhaps we can agree with how Jesus sees us.

After all, Jesus is God... and maybe He sees us more clearly than we see ourselves.

"To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." (Psalm 18:25-29 NIV)

We matter.

What we do, matters.

Who we are, matters.

"I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me. You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the Lord, but he did not answer. I beat them as fine as windblown dust; I trampled them like mud in the streets. You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me, foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me. They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds. The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name." (Psalm 18:37-49 NIV)

Since 2009, I've maintained an annual tradition of inviting God to speak to me in December about the year ahead which has usually resulted in a single word that gives me a glimpse into what is to come whether by deepening my spiritual learning or forwarding momentuous action in my life.

Last year (Thrive) was a pressure cooker of learning and deepening; growing and bold action. In other words, it was intense! Almost every week seemed to emerge a new theme; each month, a refinement.

It felt like battle-- spiritual, intellectual, emotional, sexual, physical, nutritional, relational, professional, recreational-- and I become more of myself in the process; more brave, more true, more free.

I don't wish it upon anyone... AND I'm deeply grateful for who I am now as a result. So in that, I hope that everyone experiences their own version of unfeigned becoming.

Interestingly, I also discovered this year that for the past couple of years, God has had a habit of starting the next year's learning in October while one word was finishing and before I became aware of the next year's word. Apparently, He doesn't abide by the human tradition of January 1st resolutions. That's JUST like Him, isn't it?

Anyway, this year He's chosen to give me the word, Homecoming. This word carries with it an intrinsic notion of coming home to myself. I get a constant vision of God as my King and Daddy teaching me how to rule my kingdom as a king under His Kingship. There's a notion of Him allowing me to deploy Kingdom resources with the Kingdom authority He's granted me and doing so with His absolute blessing. He's revealed to me that last year was about my Aspects (reintegrating disowned parts of my God-given Identity that Shame held captive) and this year is about His Aspects (Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Shalom, etc). Also, He's starting to reveal to me what was most true about an Inciting Incident in my life (a season of life when I felt most myself... 20 years ago).

While last year was markedly about war and battle. This year seems to have more of an emphasis on deploying resources for war on my behalf rather than engaging in frontline stuff; to rule as a king not battle like a soldier.

What traditions or practices do you keep to allow God to direct and guide you? Do you use an annual word or phrase? If so, what does that process look like? What have you discovered about yourself and your relationship with Him as a result?

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

I'm a martial artist and an assitant martial arts instructor. This year, I'll earn my Black Belt in the Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do system and I'm grateful for my instructors and classmates who have been encouraging me, challenging me and training me.

Tonight, as I was training with my classmates in self-defense, I was partnered up with a man at least 6" taller than me. He's a gentle giant and probably 25 years my elder.

I love his attitude. You can tell he's there for fun, fitness and self-defense and that he enjoys himself too. He and I both share a commonality as well-- we leave a lot of "progress" on the floor when we train (yeah, I'm referring to sweat).

Anyway, tonight I had a moment half-way though mastering our self-defense moves that he and I represent EXACTLY what Martin Luther King, Jr. had hoped for when he became a leading voice in the conversation about "all men being equal."

My partner is African-American and I'm WASP (you know, White Anglo-Saxon Protestant). And there we were on MLK day laughing, training, sweating together. No inkling of awkwardness. No judging. Just two men having fun and learning together.

It was a beautiful moment when I realized that THIS is what Martin Luther King, Jr. had hoped to see. We represented his dream.

Then, as I sat with it a bit longer, I saw that this was not only his dream. Martin Luther King, Jr. in all his eloquence and passion was a brilliant reflection of God's dream. Under Jesus' Kingship, Scripture tells us that "In Christ you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:26-28, NIV

And THAT'S what made me pause with awe and wonder, I was getting a glimpse of God's dream for humanity on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as an African-American man and an Anglo man were sweating, training and having fun together as brothers.

I look forward to one day having long conversations with a man that deeply radiated Jesus' presence in this life and I'm truly grateful for God's voice present in Martin Luther King, Jr's message of compassion... in the name of love.

In recent years, I've found myself attending several Christian conferences for pastors, Christian leaders, etc. Many times, I find that I've taken copious notes on whatever subject the speaker is conveying to the listeners. It's been helpful and beneficial for me.

Some speakers resonate.Some, not so much.

A trend that I've noticed in conference circles like this is to make it "deeply challenging" for the audience... which I believe is Christian code-speak for chastising and demeaning your listeners with Scripture. Don't get me wrong, I love a good challenge! And I love when someone "brings it" for my benefit and growth. However, more often than not, what seems to be communicated (though it may be unintended) is that whatever you're doing right now as a Christian pastor, leader, influencer... well, it's wrong. You've somehow screwed the whole thing up and you're missing the point.

Man, I wish it were as easy as "missing the point." I wish that somehow those pastors and leaders were simply looking in the wrong places and now this speaker can point them in the correct direction.

But I think there is a broader implication here.

The message isn't really about the message. It isn't about Scripture. It isn't about process, strategy, mission.

The underlying issue is intimacy. And even the speaker-- with his best selling book(s), hip church, rockin' band, innovative style, successful organization, spiritual impact-- is somehow caught up in the same spiral of performance-based approval as his audience.

The neck-breaking speed and lifestyle of most Christian leaders today is unbearably unsustainable and often lacks a real intimacy for the God they have chosen to serve professionally.

I would love to attend a conference where a speaker begins with who the pastors and leaders are becoming in their OWN faith. How are they investing in themselves? How are they learning to say, "No"? What rhythms have they set up for themselves for refereshment and renewal? How are they investing in their own hearts?

Here's the thing: no pastor or leader can effectively influence change that they aren't experiencing themselves. Want your church or organization unleashed? Great! How are you being unleashed? How are you creating a culture that values and fosters intimacy with God? Who are you becoming?

It is as if Lee Iacocca was right when he said, "The speed of the boss [leader or pastor] is the speed of the team." I believe this is a cultural statement not a productivity statement. Your church or organization becomes what you are not what you hope it to be no matter how inspiring or well thought out. We replicate and produce what we are, not what we do or say.

So, what if as pastors and leaders we did ruthlessly care for our own hearts? Who would we become? How would that impact our church or organization? What must we do today to take bold action toward cultivating intimacy with our Father? What would be the result?

Maybe this would be a better conference to have: a conference where instead of chastising the bride for being worn out and bedraggled, we wooed her back to intimacy with her Groom, Christ.Photo by Dave Hackbarth for Illuminate Photography. Used with Permission.

Ants: seemingly harmless little bugs that march and trail through gardens, through lawns... and occasionally picnics.

Several years ago they were the protagonist in a CG animated film by Pixar and yet another by DreamWorks Animation.

Cute.

They are revered as wise when compared to the lazy grasshopper and the subject of several proverbs and axioms.

They are small, mostly harmless and virtually unnoticed. That is, until they swarm.

Have you ever kicked an ant hill? More specifically, a fire ant hill? Most Texans will immediately grimace when they read this. If you're not from Texas, Google it. They're nasty bastards. They swarm by the hundreds looking to viciously attack whatever it is that disturbed their nest.

Oh, and they sting. Yes, sting. It may seem like they bit you but they didn't. They stung you. That's right. These nasty creatures grab onto your skin with their mandibles and unleash an unholy terror striking dozens of times from the stinger in their abdomen. In fact, by the time you "feel" the sting, they've already impaled you at least 30 times... and they won't stop until you kill them or flick them from your now tender skin.

I'll say it again, they're nasty bastards.

But that's not the point of my writing.

Little black sugar ants have recently welcomed themselves to my home. In comparison to the hellacious fire ant, they were almost welcome. They appeared curious at first. They would wander the floor or countertop like Ernest Hemingway on a safari adventure exploring uncharted territory tackling large obstacles in search of something.

I didn't pay much attention to them. Squashed one here and there. Then, they kept coming. How many is that now-- 10, 40, 100, maybe 1,000? I've killed numerous ants under my thumb and they keep showing up. How can something so small invade my home and cause such unrest? I've put out traps, cleaned tirelessly and even sprayed them with chemicals to rid them from my home. It's ant-mageddon.

Yet, they persist. Now, they appear in smaller numbers and with less activity but yet they still find a way.

What else has invaded my domain that is seemingly small and insignificant like that ant? When it comes to Spiritual matters, there is no such thing as a harmless invader no matter how trivial or seemingly irrelevant. Maybe it's a scout looking for a breach. Maybe it's a an army ready for a direct onslaught. Whatever IT is, it matters. Why? Because my Nemesis knows no bounds. Nothing is insignificant. Everything matters to him.

The lesson that I'm learning from these ants is that having a strong, un-breachable perimeter is essential. Without daily walking my Spiritual Domain and claiming my Spiritual authority in Christ over the Land of my Soul, I'm allowing cracks and fissures in my perimeter and you can guarantee that the Enemy is watching. This is why every day I spend at least 30 minutes praying an adapted and personalized version of the Daily Prayer For Freedom over my life and claim my rightful Identity in Christ.

Additionally, no invader is insignificant. Now, without getting all overly spiritualized like, "My phone battery died. It must be an attack!" Let me offer this instead: if and when invasion of your Domain happens, get curious. Become an observer of your life. What else is going on? What might this point to? Where am I in relation to Jesus in this moment? What else is true at this moment? (Ask Jesus) What's happening in the Spiritual realm that I need to pay attention to?

I'm not a fan of religion.I'm equally not a fan of religiosity in all its forms.One particular aspect of Christian religiosity that has been causing angst in my soul recently has centered around how singular and myopic "sharing the Gospel" has been portrayed in some of my circles of influence.It goes something like this..."We need to make sure that our ______ (friends, neighbors, co-workers) understand that they are nothing more than sinners who have offended a Holy God and that their only hope is Jesus."Sigh.Is that really the best that we have to offer?

Yes, as a follower of Jesus, I agree with the human condition as fallen and unable to restore right relationship with God apart from Jesus. But I also believe that this is only one dimension of the Gospel-- the crucifixion.What about the resurrection?What about the ascension?Why isn't more of that present in how we share this Good News?What are we afraid of? Don't we believe that we are messengers-- seed sowers, of sorts-- and that it's God through His Spirit that does the heart work?When I experience Christ-followers sharing the Good News with a strong emphasis on the crucifixion (sinners in need of saving), it feels one-dimensional and a lot like a human trying to convict another human of how messed up they are... which has a tendency to come across as berating and belittling. Most of the people I know don't need convincing or conviction that they aren't perfect or that they've somehow contributed to the current condition of our culture. They get it. They live here too.So why then do we tend to focus so much of our time trying to convince the darkness that it's dark? Why do we feel the need to point out the mud and muck of our lives? Why center in on the Shadow and Wound?The resurrection says that we are made new and every claim being made against us is disarmed because of Christ. That we now have a new heart, a good heart and it's desires are good. That we are no longer a slave to our former way of life. That we have been made alive to God. Why not share this Good News? The reason Jesus came, His mission, was "to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." (Luke 4:18b-19, NIV)Wait. This is Jesus' mission? Then shouldn't that be our mission as well?And what about the ascension? You know, the part of the Good News where Jesus is established in all authority and sends His Spirit to dwell in us granting us His authority to overcome all the power of our Shadow, Wounds, and Enemy? That we are now freed from that which formerly bound us? And that we can live in the abundance and fullness of life now, here.THAT is Great News!I'm exhausted dealing with the Spirit of Religiosity that entraps Christ-followers into a spinning cycle of self-deprecating, one-dimensional Gospel focused on what was formerly true: that we were once enemies of God in a reality of our own making and design defined by rebellion and brokenness. If you are in Christ, this is no longer your condition!If you haven't yet put Jesus at the center of your life, there is hope!You can be made new. You can overcome that which entangles you. You can live in harmony with God and others. You have infinite worth; so much so that Jesus was willing to die to let you know how much you matter to God. God loves you intensely like a groom adores His bride. You are God's beloved child and He's recklessly pursuing you in a million ways.You now have undeserved, unmerited, unearned favor with God because of His deep love for you.We have been given the mission of reconciliation-- to make peace, to win over to friendliness, to bring into agreement or harmony-- with every person we meet. Christ-followers, let's seek out and call forth the treasure-- the gold, the brilliance, the masterpiece-- that Jesus was willing to die for in every person we meet.